Danger in the Sun Village
by To the Redwoods
Summary: When a band of rougue ninja invade the Sun Village, it's up the the fallen princess and her only companion to search out help from the Hidden Leaf Village, in the form of Naruto, Lee, and Sakura,  in order to save their home.
1. The Past

_A/N: So here's something random. I know this is a questionable venture, but I'm going to give this a shot.. I have never written anything for Naruto before, let alone attempting to make a straight out love story which I sort of intend to do but I'm going to try it all out. Please support this strange venture... :I_

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Ever since Ayako Miyake was young, she was told that her village wasn't very prominent. In fact, there were very few other villages that had even ever heard of the Sun Village. It was nestled deep in the mountains near its closest ally, the Moon Village, and some of the most elite ninja in any surrounding villages lived there. However, the ninja of the Sun were few in numbers and so remained virtually unknown among the Hidden Villages. Not to mention the Sun ninja were only hired by close villages and that didn't include any of the Hidden Villages.

The leader of the Sun Village was Ayako's father, Ido Mikaye. The village looked up to their leader and even referred to him affectionately as King, and young Ayako as the Princess. He was a large man and truly a master of the light justu that the elite forces of the Sun Village wielded.

Not unlike plants, they used the power of the sun for their attacks. By absorbing the sunlight into their skin, or using their golden chakra, the ninja of the Sun Village had the ability to shape any weapon they needed by bending the light to their will. Not only that but they trained to be lightning quick and never stopped perfecting attacks to be even stronger.

"Focus Ayako. Focus on the sunlight." Her father's deep voice had pierced through her concentration. She had been seven when she had begun her serious training. She learned to form swords and other weapons from the sunlight. Her father began to train her how to move through the trees with blinding speed and how to use her petite size to her advantage. "You may not be big Ayako but you're fast and you're smart You will be a brilliant ninja.." Her father would tell her and he would set a hand on her cheek and kiss her forehead every time they finished training.

When Ayako was ten, her father had taken her into the forest just outside the village to talk to her. "You have so much potential my child." He smiled softly and she smiled back. "I have a proposition for you Ayako. There is a sacred spirit we have kept housed in village since before you were born." He proposed that the spirit be placed inside the young girl and she accepted.

The spirit was a great sun bird called Ishido. She would serve as a guardian to the young girl and lend her power only when it was needed. As Ayako grew older, the other children her age ignored her and treated her like an outcast as she devoted all her free time to training. She had only one friend, a young boy named Haru. He wasn't a ninja but was extremely bright and supportive of her growing abilities. Though the ninja in the village looked up to her father and she was learning to lead, the ninja her age only saw her as strange.

Ayako was never unhappy despite the alienation. She had a wonderful mother and father who lead an elite ninja village with nothing but kindness. Almost everyone in her village looked up to her family and supported the young princess' training to become the next leader of their small village. Life was safe and routine and almost perfect, until an uncharacteristically rainy day in the Sun Village.

Clouds had covered the sun that day and the people of the village were out enjoying the rain. Ayako and Haru sat on the roof of the palace and watched the people milling around and the dirt roads of their little village. The peaceful rainy day hadn't lasted long. A rogue ninja called Takeshi and his small band of shadow ninja had invaded the village and taken Ayako's family by surprise, murdering her mother and father and the majority of the strongest ninja in the village. He'd taken over and the peaceful life of the people of the Sun Village changed dramatically.

The people blamed Ayako for the death of her parents because of her inaction and she had been all but kicked out of her own village. She and Haru spent their time in the halls of the invaded palace, suffering silently, virtually unable to leave and waiting for an opportunity to make their move and take Takeshi out of power. They quickly learned they couldn't do it alone and, without the support of the few ninja remaining in the devastated village, the situation was hopeless.

Ayako could only wait until something happened that could save her, Haru, and her village from Takeshi and his band of Shadow ninja.


	2. The Present

_A/N: Trucking right along on this.. Seeing as how this is my first attempt at Naruto, I'd love reviews.. Please tell me what you think. It would make my going back to school bones happy, not to mention my wariness of fangirling it up in a bit here.. There are quite a few of us out there right? Support meeeee! :]_

A light breeze blew through the Sun Village, stirring up dust along the crowded roads and ruffling the villagers hair as they went about their afternoon business. It wound its way through the buildings pale red and yellow buildings that lined the streets and to the trees just outside the wall until it found Ayako. She sat perched on a particularly leafy tree branch, enjoying the midday sun shining through the thick foliage. The girl didn't so much as move as she focused on braiding the last of a bag of tiny bells into her thick red curls.

"Ayako!" The voice of Haru made her peek down through the leaves at the thin boy who had run up beneath the tree she was in and immediately started picking at his fingers. He always looked nervous about something. His light green eyes were always darting about and his hands always seemed to be fidgeting with something.

She sighed then dropped from the tree, still focused on the bell. "What's the matter Haru? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"There's something happening in the village!" His fingers found their way into his light brown hair and he began to pace. "It's a disaster Princess.. An absolute disaster and won't listen to anyone."

She dropped the curl with a light tinkling, and met his eyes with her own dark blue gaze and smiled. "Relax Haru, relax. Tell me now what's happening in the village?"

"It Takeshi. He's planning to go the Moon Village again!"

Ayako set her jaw. Takeshi occasionally threatened their former ally for the gold they mined from a underground gold deposit near the village. The neighboring village was even smaller than The Sun Village and had no ninja of their own to defend them. "I'll go talk to him."

"This is ridiculous. The Moon Village has been our ally for hundreds of years. You can't threaten a defenseless village on a whim." Ayako had been yelling at the large man's back as he dressed for battle for a long time. He hadn't turned or even acknowledged she was there which just made the redhead even more frustrated. He was nowhere near the man her father had been. "You aren't even listening to me." She said through her teeth

Takeshi pulled his hair into a tight bun on top of his head and sighed. "You don't intimidate me Ayako. I'm not afraid of you, or that thing you have inside of you." His voice was low and threatening, but he seemed almost bored to have to speak to the girl. "Whatever your father taught you is nothing compared to what I can do."

She tried to breathe slowly. She had a fiery temper and had always gotten her into trouble. "Don't underestimate me." She clenched her hands into fists. "You don't know the first thing about me or what I'm capable of."

"You have no power over me or my Shadow Ninja and you should consider yourself lucky that I didn't kill you when I killed your family-"

The redhead didn't let him finish. A thin sword materialized in her hand, and the light flashed before glowing gold. Using her speed, she jumped into the air and landed lightly on the desk before him, pressing the blade against his thick neck. Her eyes burned. "Don't you dare speak of my father."

Takeshi let out a low laugh, and watched her closely. "What are you going to do girl. You can't kill me. My ninja will destroy you. You can't take them all at once, even you aren't that rash."

She pressed the sword closer to his tanned skin, but knew he was right. Her father had taught her much better then to overestimate her abilities, or underestimate his.

"You're a child Ayako." His voice was stern and emotionless. In a swift motion he grabbed a handful of her thick curls and threw her across the room into the desk that had once belonged to her father. " Your parents are dead, your people don't trust you and you're not even strong enough to take me. You are just as useless as your father, and you are infinitely weaker _Princess_." He snarled.

She kept her dark eyes narrowed in his direction as she struggled to stand. Stars danced across her vision tried to keep herself steady.

"Get out of here." He turned to the window. "I don't need you right now and you will stay inside the village walls until I get back from The Moon Village."

Knowing there was nothing more she could do, Ayako stumbled from the office, and slammed the door behind her.

Haru, who had been waiting patiently by the door, jumped and followed after her when she didn't stop. "I heard what happened. Princess your forehead's bleeding." He grabbed her hand when they got outside and turned her to get a better look at the thin trickle cut under her hair line from where she'd struck the desk.

"It's fine."

He bit his lip and his gaze fall to the ground. "What are we going to do?"

Ayako sighed. She looked around at the beautiful day. The people of her village seemed happy enough. They practically glowed, in their brightly dyed yellow and orange clothes. Everyone in the village wore bright colors and on market day you could hardly tell what direction the sun was coming from. Outwardly everything seemed so happy, but she knew the people were suffering. They were practically prisoners inside the village walls and weren't allowed to leave for hardly any reason at all.

"Ayako?" Haru brought her back from her thoughts.

"We have to get help. We don't have any other choice." She said after a moment.

"Outside help from who exactly?"

She began to walk with purpose down the dusty road and Haru followed quickly after. "The closest ninja village is the Hidden Leaf. That's where we'll start and we won't stop until we find someone who'll help us. I won't let Takeshi continue with this."

Haru's thin fingers found their way into his hair again. "Do you think we'll find someone to help us?"

"Stop worrying. Everything's going to work out." Ayako was reassuring herself as well as her friend. All they could do was try.


	3. The Future

_A/N: Not giving up. Here's chapter three! Reviews are nice btw._

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Together, Haru and Ayako made their way through the crowded streets of the Hidden Leaf Village. They were in awe of the sheer number of people and closeness of the buildings. Neither of them had ever been outside of the Sun Village, aside from training in the dense forests surrounding their home. This visit was under less than ideal circumstances and was anything but trip for sightseeing. They had snuck out of the Sun village late the night before and had run all through the night to get there. It still didn't take away from the culture shock though of being in a completely new environment.

"People are staring at us Princess." Haru fidgeted nervously with a sun shaped pendant on a thin chain around his neck.

Even the usually confident redhead felt out of her element in the big city. She was sure they looked out of place in their bright yellow and orange clothes against the multitude other colors of the large village. The bells in her hair tinkled lightly against one another as she walked, adding to the chorus of clinking produced by her numerous bracelets, necklaces and rings. "Don't worry Haru." She faked a confident smile and returned her eyes to the crowds in front of her. They were staring, and there was nothing she could do about it.

He seemed satisfied with her response though and allowed a small smile to appear on his thin lips. "Where do we go to ask for help do you think? The longer we're away the more angry Takeshi will get.."

"What did I just tell you about worrying Haru? Everything will be just fine once we get strong ninja to help us." She was a little more confident this time and even turned as she scolded him lightly.

"But-"

"No buts. We'll just ask someone." She turned back to walk facing forward again.

The pair continued to wind their way through the crowds of villagers, trying again and again to get someone's attention. No one seemed to understand what they were asking or didn't want to answer their questions. Finally, tired and frustrated, they collapsed onto a bench on a relatively un-crowded side street.

"Princess.."

"I know Haru!" Ayako snapped and ran her hands through her hair with a loud response from the bells braided into her curls. "What is so hard to understand about we need help! Why won't anyone answer our questions!"

"I don't know Princess."

With a groan, she stood and looked around. The sun was high in the sky. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since they had arrived at the gates of the Leaf Village but the longer they were there the more time Takeshi had to figure out where they had gone. "We're wasting time!"

Haru began to fidget with a feather hanging in his pale hair. His light green eyes fell on a small ramen stall across the way. A few young people were sitting on the barstools and chatting about something he couldn't quite pick up. "Hm.." He said to himself. He glanced at Ayako. She had taken to pacing and grumbling to herself about something. He stood and slowly made his way to the tiny restaurant.

As he got closer he could see there were three young people sitting in the stall. He was sure at least one of them would know where they could get help for the village. He glanced back at Ayako, who was still pacing and hadn't noticed he had moved, and he cleared his throat. "Excuse me..?"

The three young people turned and Haru shrank back.

"What is it?" The first asked. He was a young man who didn't look much younger then himself with bright blue eyes and yellow blonde hair.

"Don't be rude Naruto." The second, a pink haired girl, spoke next.

"Yes Naruto. This young man is obviously not from this village. Be polite to visitors, it is common curtesy." The third was another young man with black hair and a green jumpsuit.

"Is there something you need?" The girl asked, smiling politely.

Haru struggled for words. He wasn't ever the one who did the talking but he knew he had to take initiative. Ayako was obviously unhappy and he hated seeing someone he saw as family upset. He cleared his throat a second time. "Um.."

"Well?" The one they others had called Naruto said impatiently.

Haru struggled to find words and then finally decided on, "We're in need of some assistance.."

"What sort of assistance?" The young man in green jumped to his feet enthusiastically.

"We?" The girl also stood and looked around curiously.

Haru's hand found the feather in his hair. "Yes we." He pointed across the road to Ayako. "That's uh the princess of the Sun Village and-"

"Princess?" Naruto hopped to his feet at the word and tried to get a better look at the girl across the war, earning a scowl from the girl in the process.

"Uh yes.. And we desperately need help." He paused, to allow for an interruption that didn't come as the three young people were now silent and listening. "Our village is in trouble and we just don't have the power to overthrow the tyrant that's taken control of our people."

"That is inexcusable." The young man in green said passionately. "I will personally take down this evil doer alone if I must."

"Shut up Lee." Naruto said a little too loudly. "You couldn't do it if you tried!"

"I think I have proven my prowess on the battlefield enough times to show you that that is simply not true Naruto." Lee shot back.

"Enough, or I'll kill both of you now and it won't matter what Lee can do." The girl narrowed her gaze, then returned a bright smile to Haru. "I'm Sakura, and we'll do anything we can to help you.. Sorry, what was your name?"

He managed a smile. "I'm Haru. The Sun Village is eternally grateful to all of you. Let me just go get the princess." He laughed nervously and ran across the street to a fuming Ayako. "Princess.. Princess please stop pacing."

"What is it Haru!"

"I found some volunteers. They're ninja and they want to help our village." He smiled brightly as the scowl on the redheads face disappeared.

"They want to help us?" She whispered hesitantly.

"Yes Princess." A genuine smile lit his face.

Her eyes found the three strangers standing across the road, who were watching the exchange with intense curiosity. She pushed Haru out of the way gently, and walked towards them. She stopped and looked each of them over with disbelief. "You really want to help us?"

"Of course." Sakura smiled.

"The excuse to beat the tar outta some jerk is enough reason for me to tag along." Naruto grinned and winked at her.

"I will do everything in my power to help you Princess." Lee held out an enthusiastic thumbs up accompanied by a wide grin.

"It's just Ayako, you don't have to call me princess." She smiled up at Lee and the others.

"We should probably go talk to Lady Tsunade. She will need to know that we're gone don't you think?" Sakura suggested.

"Who is.." Ayako exchanged a glance with Haru.

"She's the Hokage, duh." Naruto said matter-of-factly. He laced his fingers behind his head and began to walk down the road.

"Do not be so sharp with someone who is unfamiliar with the way our village works Naruto." Lee scolded. "Come. We will show you to the Hokage's office."

Ayako met his gaze and smiled broadly. "Thank you so much. Come on Haru." She called her anxious friend and the group began to walk. For the first time in a long time the fallen Princess was optimistic about the future of her village.


	4. Volunteers

_A/N: I'm working on my Boosh stuff too, I promise, just for now I have Naruto on the brain.. I apologize for the shortness, but I have bigger plans for next chapter. Typing ahoy!_

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"So let me try and understand this." A very impatient Lady Tsunade rubbed her forehead in irritation. "You want me to send a squad of my ninja with you, for next to nothing, to take out a major assassination that you have barely any details about."

"Yes ma'am, but please understand, this is all I can offer right now." Ayako dropped the small pouch of coins onto the Hokage's desk. "I can pay for the mission in full once I have my throne back. I can access my father's treasure and pay you double, or triple, whatever you want."

"Hm.." Lady Tsunade leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "This isn't a charity service I'm running here kid."

"Yes I understand.."

"But, I'm also not heartless. I understand your situation and am willing to offer you some help." She smiled and stood. "If you can find volunteer ninja, who will work without pay until you can get more money then I'll send them with you to help you and your village."

The dark look on Haru's face changed suddenly and he smiled. "Well that's perfect-"

"The princess found volunteers already Grandma Tsunade." Naruto swung the door open and made his way into the office, leaving Lee and Sakura standing awkwardly in the doorway. They had all obviously been listening just outside the door waiting to argue in favor of the mission.

"Naruto!" The Hokage snapped at the blatant disrespect. "Get out of my office."

"Lady Tsunade, we ran into the princess earlier and she told us what was happening to her people. We'd be more than happy to help out." Sakura explained with a smile.

"There is a great injustice being done! I will do everything in my power to bring this villain down!" Lee added.

Lady Tsunade sank back into her chair, a thoughtful look on her face. "What's the plan of attack then? What exactly is the situation you're leading my ninja into?"

Ayako took a breath. "Right. Well Takeshi is the leader of a rogue band of shadow ninja who were altogether strong enough to take down the most powerful ninja in our village, including my father. But I think if we can sneak in and take him out by surprise, his lackeys will be no problem.." She trailed off.

"That's sorta vague there princess." Naruto crossed his arms, his tone full of doubt.

"The best information we can provide is that we'll have to see what's best when we get there.. Ma'am." Haru answered.

"Hm." Lady Tsunade narrowed her gaze at the three Leaf ninja who stood determinedly before her desk. "You three do understand the risks a mission like this entails, right?"

They nodded in response.

"And you accept you could be killed by an enemy we have no information on, in a village where we have no allies. You could be wiped out and no one would ever know." She added darkly.

After a moment of silence, Ayako glanced over her shoulder nervously. Sakura had had the confidence wiped from her face. Her eyed were glued to the floor and her hands were balled into tight fists. Naruto seemed to be thinking, really hard. She felt hope slipping through her fingers. Where was the next ninja village? Her eyes met Lee's who was staring at her. She pleaded with her eyes for him to understand the situation, and he nodded to her. Finally, he broke the silence.

"I cannot allow the Princess to leave without the help I promised." A brilliant smile lit his face and after a moment he turned to Lady Tsunade. "I accept the mission, risks and all."

"Well fine. I can't let Bushy Brow take all the glory. I guess I'm in too." Naruto decided with a smile.

Sakura nodded. "Looks like we're all in then."

"Thank you so much." Ayako felt weak in the knees, but let out a relieved breath.

Lady Tsunade nodded. "It's settled then. You can stay here for the night in the rooms on the first floor. Leave in the morning and good luck." She stamped a paper and slipped it into a white folder before shaking the small coin pouch and scowling.

"Thank you so much Lady Hokage!" The Princess and Haru both bowed and they backed towards the door, following the three Leaf ninja into the hallway.

"Just get out of my office." She dropped the pouch onto her desk and sighed.

* * *

The sun had begun to set as Haru and Ayako settled into their generic looking room with one bunk-bed and grey walls.

"Well this is great." Naruto said sarcastically, setting his hands behind his head and peeking into the room.

Ayako smiled. "It's only temporary. And besides, it's better than the street, right?"

Haru collapsed on the bottom bed with a groan. "And I have never been more grateful for a mattress before."

"Aren't you hungry or anything?" Ayako asked him. "I was going to go find something sweet since we have some free time."

"I will show you the best place for sweets in the village if you are interested, Princess." Lee said from behind Naruto.

"Yeah that sounds great actually." She tossed her bag up to the top bunk and patted Haru on the back. "Get some rest and I'll bring you something back for later."

"Thank you Princess." His muffled voice answered.

"When will we leave in the morning?" Sakura asked.

"As soon as the sun rises would be best.." Ayako spoke as they made their way down the hall. "Meet at the gate at sunrise, does that sound reasonable?"

"More than reasonable." Lee said and Sakura nodded in agreement.

Naruto grumbled. "I hate mornings, but I'll be there. Count on that."

They split ways and Ayako turned to Lee with a soft smile. "Now how about that sweet shop."

"Follow me Princess!" He answered enthusiastically.


	5. Positive Attitudes and Baked Goods

_A/N: Please help! I need to know if I'm doing the characters any justice.. I need some feedback.. I mean I want to at least know I'm doing a good job. :] Sorry for the wait, schoool.._

_Ps: Thanks for the alert Galaxy-Monarch Frosty10001. Yay! Somebody's reading this! :D_

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The sky got dark over the Hidden Leaf Village and the paper lamps hanging over the now bustling streets lit up. The evening air outside the small sweet shop seemed to glow with the soft lamplight. Ayako marveled at the amount of people still roaming the street. By this time the people of the Sun Village would be in their homes, sharing dinner with their families, but this night life was fascinating.

"This is so different then The Sun Village.." She said to herself.

"What was that Princess?" Lee asked, leaning over towards her. He had been being so quiet while she observed the street that she had forgotten he was sitting next to her. He had been watching her carefully as she observed the street.

She smiled and turned to him. "It's just that this place is so much different than the Sun Village. Where I come from its always very quiet and peaceful. We don't have nearly as many people as you have living here and there's definitely no night life."

He nodded thoughtfully, then took a bite of his dumpling and glanced around at the bustling crowds. "It is pretty crowded. I grew up here so I do not notice as much as an outsider would I suppose." He said with a friendly smile.

Ayako took a breath and let her gaze fall to her hands. "You really have no idea how much you, Naruto and Sakura volunteering means to Haru and me." She said after a moment.

"Part of being a shinobi is reaching out to those in need of our help." He watched her expression closely.

"No but its more than that." The princess insisted, peeking up at him through her eyelashes. "Shinobi get hired and assigned to jobs. You guys volunteered to help us, despite the lack of information and the amount of danger you're putting yourselves in for complete strangers-"

"You are hardly a stranger Ayako." He cut her off with a smile. "True I don't know much about you, but let us clear that up now shall we?"

She was taken off guard for a moment, before she laughed then nodded. "Alright. My name's Ayako Miyake, fallen princess of The Sun Village. My parents were slaughtered by the man Takeshi, who's now in charge of my village. Haru is my closest friend and practically a brother to me. His family was killed as well so we consider each other family. I'm one of the last ninja in my village and my dad taught me how to use most of the light style techniques, attacks special to our village.." She trailed off. "And that's about it I think." She finished with a soft smile.

"My turn. My name is Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf Village. I am a taijutsu specialist, as that is all I have. I am not gifted with ninjutsu or genjutsu, but that is alright. I used to think it was a curse, but now I see it as a gift. I do not let my disability stop me and I have worked hard to be the best at taijutsu as well as the fastest ninja in the Leaf."

"I am thoroughly impressed Rock Lee. Still, that must have been hard." She said after a moment. "But I'm glad you saw the good in it."

He blushed and looked down at his hands. "Oh well thank you Princess. Though it was tough to begin with, it is what set me apart from the other ninja and made me special. And it was during the toughest times that I realized, nothing is ever gained from a negative attitude."

"I wish I would have known that when things got rough for me. After my parents were killed, a lot of the blame was turned my direction. I didn't know how to handle it. I broke down. Haru said I became a cliché."

Lee quirked his head to the side. "How so?"

Ayako met his gaze with a smile. "You know. A brooding member of a fallen royal family, doomed to a lifetime of revenge and angst." She said dramatically.

He made a face. "Oh well.. That is.."

"I got over it don't worry." She laughed as he relaxed and laughed too. "For a while though I didn't know what to do. I felt like that was my only choice. I realized that I was miserable trying to play the brooding princess pretty quick though. I don't have the personality for it. I have too quick a temper and I think I'm too nice to be focused on revenge. That doesn't get you anywhere anyway."

He nodded. "You must remain positive. Everyone has dark moments, but if you are strong you can rise above even the worst of times. What is in the past cannot be changed, but with every action we shape our future."

Ayako searched his face with soft smile on her lips. "Where have you been my whole life Lee."

A little flustered, he cleared his throat and struggled to hold her gaze. "Well you have me now and I am here to help you and Haru in whatever you need."

The fallen princess looked back at her hands. "Thank you from the very bottom of my heart. You can't possibly know how much it means to me."

"Let me walk you back. It is getting late and we have a long day ahead of us. You should rest up."

"You're right, thanks for taking me out." She said as she packed a few of the baked goods into a bag for Haru.

"It was nothing." He responded with a slightly embarrassed smile. He offered her his elbow and she took it. "It isn't a long walk from here."

* * *

"Couldn't you have left the light off at least?" Haru groaned as Ayako switched the light on in the tiny room. He looked up at her with one half closed pale green eye.

"Sorry.. I brought you some food." She turned off the light and sat next to him on the bottom bunk. She he held up the bag.

With a sigh, he sat up. "How was your date?"

She narrowed her gaze as he began to eat one of the dumplings. Instead of arguing she decided on "It went good. Lee is different than anyone I've ever met before."

After inhaling too fast and choking, Haru apologized and Ayako climbed up to the top bunk. A moment of silence passed between the two of them before he spoke.

"Do you think they can defeat Takeshi?"

Ayako blinked up at the ceiling. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried. She was sure Takeshi had noticed long ago that she and Haru were gone and if he wasn't looking for them already then he would be soon. She was well aware of the danger she was leading Lee, Naruto and Sakura into, but she would do everything in her power to keep them safe. With the help of their new friends, there would be no reason to fear Takeshi or his shadow powers. But there was still that slight chance that things could go wrong.

"Stay positive Haru. Everything will be fine, I promise."

* * *

"Lord Takeshi." The shadow ninja appeared behind the large man and bowed. "The princess and the boy Haru are gone, as you suspected. Should we pursue?"

Takeshi sighed, tapping on the desk with his fingers. His eyes opened slowly and he smirked. "No leave her. She's mounting some sort of attack no doubt."

"My lord, shouldn't we stop her?"

The man chuckled then stood and strode to the window. The sky was dark and there was no moon. "No. No. Let her play her games. When she returns we'll just kill them all."

"Even the Princess my lord?"

"We'll leave the Princess." He closed his eyes and chuckled a second time. "Stupid girl. I'll show you how worthless you are."


	6. Moonlit Motivation

_A/N: I am sooo sorry for the wait on this. Why is college the worst thing ever invented. Not to mention I had some trouble writing this one out.. Ugh.. Hopefully I can get the next one out faster. Tell me what you think? :P_

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The sun was shining brightly over the Hidden Leaf Village by the time they finally left. Naruto had been late, which the Princess was assured was to be expected. Birds chirped pleasantly in the thick forests surrounding the gate the group set off, led by Ayako and Lee who was curious to know every last detail about her village. Sakura chatted with Haru behind them and Naruto seemed to still be half asleep and brought up the rear with his hands behind his head. They had decided to walk, as not to arouse more suspicion then necessary to anyone who might be searching for them along the war. After a few hours, they stopped by a clear little stream for lunch. Sakura pulled a bundle of rice balls from her pack and set them on the grass in the center clearing where they had all relaxed.

"So Princess.." Naruto started as the group began to eat.

"I told you not to call me that Naruto." She scolded lightly. "But yes what is it?"

"Oh right.. Ayako." Naruto corrected himself with a small scowl. "How far is it to your village? I mean are we in for a long journey here? Because I know Sakura didn't pack enough food for that."

"It sounds like your whining Naruto." Sakura warned.

Ayako laughed. "Well, it took us a day and a half to get here running, so it will probably take us about twice that walking."

"Why are we going so slow anyway. I must have missed this decision." Naruto huffed and crossed his arms.

"Quit complaining will you!" Sakura's tone grew threatening and she narrowed her gaze at him.

"Are they always like this?" Ayako asked Lee quietly, as the other two Leaf ninja began to argue.

He smiled brightly. "Oh yes. Arguments are inevitable and it will likely end with violence."

"Sakura!" Naruto yelped as she hit him on the back of the head.

"You're being so obnoxious." She rolled her eyes and took another bite of her lunch.

The blonde rubbed at his head. "Well geeze, you didn't have to hit me."

"The reason we are moving slow is to keep suspicion low in case there is increased security in the areas around the Sun Village." Lee answered. "It is for safety, there is no need to fight yet."

"Not to mention we might have someone tailing us.." Haru said anxiously. He was having trouble relaxing and had not spoken hardly at all since they left that morning.

"A tail?" Sakura glanced over her shoulder and scanned the trees.

Ayako sighed. "There's nobody following us. I would have sensed them, and if I didn't, we're with three capable ninja's who would have picked up on something. Please try to relax Haru."

With a sigh he looked down at his hands. "You're right of course Princess."

"You're so high strung." Naruto seemed to have recovered from the attack on his head and poked Haru's shoulder. "Just take a breath and relax. We're here to protect you remember?"

Embarrassed, Haru nodded and took Naruto's advice. He took a deep breath. "I apologize."

"Don't be sorry Haru. We're all nervous." Ayako assured him, with a few nods from the Leaf ninja. "But everything is going to be okay. Just try and remember that."

The young man seemed to relax fully after that and they settled into the clearing to finish their lunch.

The sun set and the group decided to stop near a rocky cliff for the night. After the full day of walking everyone seemed fairly exhausted and soon, even Naruto was silent and sleeping. Ayako remained awake until she was sure everyone was asleep. The rest was well deserved. She stood with a sigh after a moment and slipped away into the trees.

The princess knelt in front of a small stream a few feet from their camp. She scooped the clear liquid into her hands and splashed it onto her face. Silvery moonlight made the surface of the water like a mirror as she stared at her own tired reflection with slight disgust. Her hair was a mess and deep circles sat like bags beneath her dark blue eyes.

"You look absolutely terrible." She said quietly as worry and doubt began to flood her mind. She was worried about her village, and about Haru and now about her new friends

A rustle came from the bushes behind her. Her reflexes kicked in and in an instant and a flash of silvery light a kunai knife formed from moonlight appeared in her palm. She turned and leapt in the direction of the noise.

"Princess it is me!" The figure yelped as she faltered and stopped with the knife aimed at his throat.

"Lee! What are you doing sneaking up on me like that! I almost killed you!" She took a few deep breaths, trying to recover from the near miss. She held the knife tight in her hand but her other palm came to rest lightly on his chest.

"I did not know you were out here." He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the tree she had pushed him against in her rapid attack. "If I had seen you I would have said something." He added breathlessly.

Ayako glanced at the kunai and in a moment it disappeared and she stumbled back embarrassedly . "I am so sorry Lee. I just was trying to relax. I suppose it didn't work." With a shaky laugh, she collapsed to her knees onto the grass and ran a hand through her hair.

"What are you doing out here so late Princess?" Lee asked as he sank to the grass beside her.

"I could ask you the same question. I thought everyone was asleep." She countered easily.

He looked up at her from his still shaky hands. "Never miss an opportunity to get in some night training. That was the initial plan before I was ambushed"

"Training? This late?" She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her cheek on her kneecap to keep her careful gaze on him. "You are a wonder. Why are you training this late."

"Oh no that is just not true." He said bashfully. "My philosophy is that simply you must never miss an opportunity to better yourself. What are you doing out here Princess?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Paranoia's keeping me up I suppose. I was just making sure there wasn't anyone following us."

Lee blinked a few times, than smiled softly. "If that is bothering you then I will stand guard tonight. You look exhausted."

"Well that's sweet of you to offer, but it's really not necessary. I'm just afraid."

"What are you afraid of? Naruto, Sakura and I are here to protect you, no matter what. I can assure you, you have nothing to fear Ayako." He explained as he began to stretch out his long legs.

She watched him for a moment. "Yes I know but.."

"But?"

"But you don't know what Takeshi is capable of." She bit her lip. "I can't let anyone else I care about get hurt. You understand don't you? I just can't let anything happen to Haru or you or the others."

He stopped his stretches and turned to her. "Do you blame yourself for what happened in your village?" He asked suddenly.

She looked down at her hands. "Everyone does. If I can take him down now then I'll be able to restore my village. But I can't do it alone. I'm just not strong enough. I never have been."

Lee nodded thoughtfully. "Do you believe in yourself Ayako?"

She looked up. "What?"

He turned to her and after a brief hesitation took her hands in his and smiled. "You must believe in yourself to make any dream a reality. No one ever believed I would become a ninja, but I pushed myself every day and now here we are. You are strong and capable and you must believe that for yourself before anyone else can believe in you." His voice was soft and full on encouragement.

The princess sighed. "Believe in myself huh.."

Lee cleared his throat awkwardly and pulled his hands back. They sat in silence for a little bit. Ayako chewed on her lip and watched the sky. "Takeshi thinks he's superior to me in every way. He doesn't think I can do anything to him. He thinks himself invincible." She confessed and took a breath. "I want to prove him wrong."

"I believe in your dream." He assured her. He hopped to his feet to return to his training. "Go get some rest. I promise I will stand watch until morning."

She stood as well. "Are you sure? You really don't have to do anything like that."

He gave her a thumbs up. "You have my word. Do not worry Princess. Nothing will get past me."

"My hero."

Ayako returned to the clearing, after reluctantly leaving Lee to stand guard. She sighed and curled up on the soft grass beside Haru. Soon she slipped into a light sleep, and tried not to worry about the days to come.


	7. Close Encounters

_A/N: I really have no excuse for the amount of time this has taken.. College caught up to me and that has combined with a severe case of writers block created a deadly hell storm.. I am sincerely sorry and hope this starts happening faster than the flow of molasses during a snowstorm. Ps Thanks to Galaxy-Monarch Frosty10001 for editing! :]_

* * *

The sun only got brighter the closer the group got to the Sun Village. The trees got thicker and more ancient as well, stretching tall and proud up towards the bright blue sky. Naruto practically doubled over backwards as his inquisitive blue eyes tried to find the very tops.

Ayako stifled a giggle as he almost fell backwards.

"You idiot." Sakura glared in his direction and grumbled.

"These trees are simply massive." Lee's eyes filled with wonder as he motioned up towards the sky.

"The stories say that the founders of our village built around them because they were so big. They didn't want to cut them down out of respect for the ancient spirits that are said to guard them" Haru's quiet voice explained as he walked close behind Ayako and Lee. His fingertips trailed over the bark or the closest trunk. "They've seen everything that's happened to this land and they've got to be the oldest trees around in any of the nations. That I know of anyhow"

"There aren't trees even close to this size around our village.." Sakura marveled.

"I gotta say, I just don't get it.. These are just big trees."

"Naruto." Lee spoke out in warning this time. "You must try to understand the customs of this foreign village and not insult them." He motioned to Ayako who he walked closely at his side with a soft smile on her lips. "I think the trees are beautiful." He added with a nod.

"Yeah me too." Sakura agreed.

Naruto only rolled his eyes.

Both Haru and Ayako smiled. The peaceful walk through the forest continued until Sakura suddenly stopped and looked around.

"What-"

"Sh.." The pink haired girl held up a hand. "I think I sense something."

Haru stepped behind Naruto and nervously clutched his hands together as the blonde ninja took a defensive stance. Lee and Ayako turned away from each other to scan the trees and Sakura pulled a kunai from the pouch at her hip. After a tense moment passed, Naruto sighed loudly.

"Sakura you have got to be hearing things because I literally hear nothing."

"I didn't say hear, I said sense you idiot. There was a strange chakra."

Lee glanced around warily. "Are you positive Sakura?"

"No, I feel it too." The Princess answered. "We should hide, and stay quiet. I can mask our chakra at least partly. It's our best option"

They piled into the bushes and fell silent. Another tense silence settled as they peered out of the leafy shrub all either sitting or an their hands and knees in the grass inside the shrubs. The strange chakra drew closer. Haru covered his mouth and closed his eyes and Sakura nodded to Naruto who crawled up to where Lee and Ayako had stopped to peer through the thick leaves.

The mysterious chakra grew stronger as footsteps echoed in the now silent forest. Everyone held their breaths as a pair of black shoes made their way past the bush. Ayako knew who it was but bit her lip. Hoji was Takeshi's second in command and the one who usually handed the grunt work, though you wouldn't guess it from looking at him. He was a thin and wiry man with thin black hair. His dark sunken eyes were always shifting and full of menace.

Subconsciously, Ayako leaned towards Lee, who took a short nervous breath. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to keep from making any sound. Naruto picked up on her nervous energy and tensed, trying to keep from jumping out of their cover and attacking the person responsible for causing this. He settled on clenching his hands into tight fists.

After another moment, the footsteps disappeared further into the forest. They waited another short moment before letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"Who was that." Naruto spoke first, keeping his voice low.

Haru and Ayako exchanged glances before he spoke.

"Hoji.. Takeshi's first in command." Haru's pale eyes fell to his fidgeting hands. "He doesn't look it, but he's very strong."

"Not to mention heartless." The redheaded princess stood and gazed in the direction the shadow ninja had walked. "Let's get moving before he comes this way. We're almost to the villageand I'm going to have to sneak all of you in after the sun goes down."

One by one the Leaf ninja stood and nodded.

"Let's get moving. We don't have any time to waste."

* * *

Takeshi stood in his office, his dark eyes overseeing the small village from the window behind the desk. He looked down his nose at the now poor villagers and had no pity for those who still believed in their fallen Princess. She had been gone a while now, a few days easily. She had left while he was gone. He was a smart man and nothing much escaped his perceptive eyes. If she had gone to hire ninja to help her, which was most likely, then let them come. He had sent his men out to scour the village and surrounding forests to track them down, but not to catch them. No, that wasn't his game. He would let Ayako feel as though she was in control for a time and then then he would destroy her.

With a soft knock, Hoji strolled into the office. "You were right my lord. Three Leaf ninja accompany the Princess. By my observations though they don't pose much of a threat. I could have easily defeated them myself, if you hadn't ordered otherwise."

"As I assumed." The evil lord sighed. "The Princess will have to suffer the consequences of her actions."

Hoji chucked and leaned up against the wall on the far side of the room. "How exactly do plan on causing this suffering my lord."

Takeshi turned his dark gaze on the wiry man. "By taking away all she holds dear. I'll kill Haru, easy as that."

"The boy?"

Takeshi turned back to the window. "Her last remaining family. She will crumble without him. And with him out of the picture, the Leaf ninja should be easy enough to take care of. The villagers will lose all their remaining hope in her when she is defeated. Hers will be a fate worse than death and she will suffer alone until she finally gives up."

Hoji nodded with an evil smirk on his thin lips. "That is cruel my lord. Who will have the pleasure of killing the boy?"

"In due time. But until then none of you are to lay a finger on the princess or her new friends."

"Understood my lord." With that Hoji bowed and left the office.

Takeshi sighed again. "When will you learn Princess that you are not in charge of your own destiny."


	8. A Warning

_A/N: Finals are officially over. That means a month of break( And Disneyland! :]) Reviews are always nice.. And a big thanks to Galaxy-Monarch Frosty10001 for editing. :]_

_~Also, Thanks to ELnDK4EVER(Hope that's all spelled right) for favoriting! And also to Lee-Sakura-and-Hermione-Draco for not only the fave, but also a review. Thanks guys! :]_

* * *

Ayako scanned the streets of the Sun Village carefully, crouched on top of the protective wall that surrounded the small village. With eyes scrunched shut in concentration, she searched for signs of any chakra that belonged to any of Takeshi's men. The sun had set and they had been waiting patiently along the all for the streets to empty out.

"Well?" Naruto's voice broke her concentration and her eyes popped open. He looked up at her with an expectant look in his blue eyes. "Anyone lurking around in there?"

Ayako stood and brushed her knees off. "Looks like the coast is clear, for now anyway. But a lot of these guys are really good at sensing chakra so I think our best course of action is to suppress our chakra and sneak in." She hopped down from the wall and glanced to each of the faces in her makeshift party. "Are you all ready?"

They each nodded and she led the way over the wall.

As quietly as possible, they dropped into shadowy streets of the village. Ayako led them through the mazelike alleyways and roads made up from the smallish close together buildings, and in the direction of the apartment she and Haru shared. The short trip seemed to take an eternity. They ducked into several alleyways when shadow ninja would patrol by. Finally, they crept up through the back window of the tiny first story living space.

Ayako locked the window and closed the curtains before dashing across the room and locking the door as well. With a deep sigh she set a hand on her chest and leaned back against the wood door. "There we go."

"Looks as though half the battle is won." Haru switched on a light as the Leaf ninja settled into the small living space. His pale eyes glanced around the room before falling on Ayako. "Princess.."

"Right, right. Just make yourselves at home. I need to go check in with Takeshi, so he doesn't think the worst and send one of his goons over here." She tried to smile. "Haru will make you some food. Other than that, that bookcase over there has maps and bingo books with pictures and information that we've put together on all of Takeshi's men. The bathroom is back there." She thought for a moment. "And please be careful and stay quiet."

"You got it Princess." Naruto plopped onto the small couch with a grin and closed his eyes lazily.

Sakura nodded and stood. "I'll start reading through these, since I doubt these two will do it."

"Are you sure you will be okay? I can accompany you." Lee added last.

The redhead took a short breath and shook her head. "No I can't put you in danger Lee. I'll be fine I promise. Just stay here and stay safe." With that, she was gone.

"Is.. She gonna be okay Haru?" Naruto asked after a short silence.

"She'll be fine. If you follow her and get caught she'll be in more trouble then she could ever get herself into on her own." He said quietly. "Now, who's hungry?"

* * *

"Where have you been girl. It's been almost a week." Takeshi's hard gaze rose briefly from his desk and focused on the redhead. His voice was eerily calm. "Won't you please share what's kept you so occupied?"

"Haru and I decided to spend some time in the trees. We haven't been able to since we were kids." She answered as truthfully as she could. "That's where we've been."

"Hm, I see." He went back to flipping through papers on his desk. "I suppose that's believable enough. I'll never understand your people's connection to those trees. I should just chop them all down." He looked up briefly in time to catch her flinch.

Almost faster than Ayako could react, a kunai formed from pitch black shadows sliced through the skin on her cheek. She had barely even seen him move. Warm blood leaked down her cheek, but she ignored the stinging pain as he began to speak again.

"Consider this your warning. Never leave this village again." Briefly, he looked up at her. "Do you understand, Princess?"

"Yes Takeshi."

"Get out of my sight."

She clenched her jaw and slipped out of his office.

* * *

The minutes ticked by slowly back in the apartment. Haru had served a simple dinner and everyone had relaxed enough to enjoy it. After eating, Sakura had gone back to flipping through books and maps on the carpet beside the bookshelf. Naruto had gone back to the couch and seemed to be taking a nap, and Lee had finally relaxed as well and had relaxed beside Naruto to finish his bowl of soup.

"Are those proving helpful?" Haru asked her.

"Oh yeah, these should help out a lot. I mean with the names and faces of everyone it'll be easy to know who to avoid and who to take out."

He nodded. "I'm glad that they're easy to read. I had to put them together almost entirely by myself."

Sakura laughed. "You did? That's very impressive Haru."

"Well yes, how else would they get done-"

The creak of the door cut him off as Ayako slipped inside.

"Princess you are bleeding!" Lee hopped to his feet, almost spilling the bowl that had been balanced on his knees. He tried to look at the cut closer but she ducked back towards the door.

She held up her hand with a weak smile. "Oh this? It's just a scratch, nothing to worry about."

"It looks like its bleeding pretty bad." Naruto pointed out from the couch.

She sighed. "I'm going to clean up." She bit her lip then hurried into the tiny bathroom at the back of the small apartment. However, after only a moment, the bathroom was crowded with the other occupants of the apartment.

"Come on Princess, we can help." Naruto leaned against the doorframe.

Sakura held out a tiny jar of medicine with a smile. "That's what we're here for right?"

After a moment of surprise, and a reassuring smile from Lee, Ayako sat down on the closed toilet and Sakura went to work cleaning up the cut and preparing it for the medicine.

"Why did he hurt you?" Lee asked, leaning forwards to examine the recently cleaned wound more closely.

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. This jerk is just asking for it."

"This was a warning, for leaving the village." She said quietly.

Haru took a nervous breath. "A warning?"

"Don't worry. What did you make for dinner?" She asked, trying to distract the boy from his own thoughts.

His eyes focused. "Soup, let me get you some. I had completely forgotten." He disappeared down the hall in a hurry.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Lee asked again.

Ayako met his gaze and nodded. "I'm fine. This should just be motivation to kick this guy's ass twice as hard as we initially planned."

Naruto laughed and pumped a fist in the air. "That's what I'm talking about Princess."

Sakura finished cleaning her cut and they left the bathroom. Ayako set them up places to sleep scattered across the floor and almost right away Sakura (who had taken the bed), Haru (who'd taken the couch after Ayako had convinced him he needed it more than her), and Naruto (who had sprawled out in a pile of blankets and pillows on the floor) had passed out. Ayako sat at the table, head resting on her hand, pushing the simple soup around her bowl. She had lost her appetite sometime between getting her cheek sliced open and motivating her new friends to stay strong and confident. She watched Lee carefully, who had insisted on staying up to see that she got to sleep alright.

"You don't have to do this you know." She said quietly. "You look exhausted Lee."

"Oh I am fine." He reassured her with a smile. "I promise you."

She let out a breathy laugh, leaning towards where he sat across the small table. "This is the second time you've lost sleep over me. Get some sleep for me, before I have to start worrying about you too." A small smile appeared on her lips as he looked taken aback. With a deep breath she stood and set her bowl in the sink, adding to the already present pile.

"Are you alright Princess? I will stand watch again. Do not worry."

She looked back at his smiling face and provided a weak one of her own. "Don't worry about it. Nothing will bother us here. You relax please." With another sigh she set them both places up to relax on the floor, with Ayako up against the couch. He hesitated then surrendered and sat down on the floor beside where she had lay down.

"Goodnight Lee." She mumbled into her pillow. "Promise me you'll get some sleep?"

"I promise Ayako."


	9. Apples and Threats

_A/N: I haven't abandoned this! I promise! I have just been super busy with Hetalia, which sparked a plot bunny which is very __very__ persistent. Still that is no excuse for leaving this for long.. But I have a better one for that. Severe writers block. Anyway.. This is what I have so far. Don't be afraid to leave reviews, just say hi or whatever. It's all very encouraging. :]_

_PS. Title change, don't be alarmed. Hahaha._

_PSS. Thank you so much to my good friend Galaxy-Monarch Frosty10001 for being my diligent editor. You are amazing. :]_

* * *

Ayako had had to leave early that morning on Takeshi's orders. She had told Haru to take the day to show Lee, Naruto and Sakura around the village. Since all of Takeshi's men would be away on the mission to the Moon Village with the Princess in tow, it would be a perfect opportunity to not only get a lay of the land, but a chance to meet some of the other villagers.

"This is fantastic!" Sakura commented as they wandered the streets of the small earthy village. They had ended up in a bustling street market. Villagers crowded into the spaces between many carts and stands, all glad to be rid of Takeshi and his men, even just for the day. "Everyone is so friendly here!"

"This is how it was before the takeover." Haru said quietly as he nodded to a passing family who nodded back to him. "Everyone was always happy and bright, but somewhere along the line he managed to dim the light and turn everyone against Ayako. Distrust makes everyone uneasy I suppose."

A thoughtful look passed over Lee's face. "Why was this village targeted though, if you do not mind me asking. What was there to gain from invading such a small village."

Haru shrugged. "That's something we've been asking since he invaded. It's probably for the gold in the Moon Village, but your guess is as good as ours."

"Gold?" Naruto asked.

"Haru boy is that you?" An old women sitting at a fruit stand cut him off and poked him in the ribs with her cane. "You're wasting away kid here. Eat." She shoved an apple into his hands.

He forced a smile. "That's very generous of you, thank you Miss Toki."

"And give one to the Princess when you see her will you? The poor dear could use to put some skin on her bones with the stress she's under." The elderly woman shoved a second shining piece of fruit into his hands.

"Yes I will. She will be very thankful." The smile became more genuine.

With a soft 'hm' the wispy haired woman's gaze fell on the Leaf Ninja. "And who might you be? Outsiders?"

"Oh please keep quiet Miss Toki.." Haru's voiced was urgent, but hushed. "Ayako is planning something to help everyone and-"

The woman hopped from the stool and covered the neurotic young man's mouth with a wrinkled hand. "So, the Princess finally goes to the Leaf and this is what she brings back? They don't look like much though do they."

"She's blunt.." Sakura mumbled to Lee, who nodded.

Miss Toki's eyes scrutinized each of the new arrivals before falling on Naruto. "Especially you kiddo."

"What was that?" The blonde scowled.

"You'll have to eat up, if you want to help our dear Princess that is." The old woman shoved an apple into his hands. "My apples work wonders and you'll need all the help you can get."

Naruto's shining blue eyes narrowed. "You gotta be kidding me Grandma."

"Who's next? A pretty girl?" Miss Toki moved her gaze to Sakura. "Never has this village known a more powerful kunoichi then our Princess did you know that? Her father was a master and trained her well."

Sakura cleared her throat. "No ma'am. I didn't know." She answered politely.

"Hm, two apples for you. Make Ayako proud." Miss Toki tossed the apples in Sakura's direction and finally turned on Lee. "And what's your story skinny."

"Ah.. Well, I am here to help because I made a promise to the Princess." He struggled for a moment under the elderly woman's critical gaze and finally a pale blush dusted his cheeks. "Is that a sufficient answer?"

"And three apples for this one. You've got a spark kid, and youll need double that to keep your promise." She poked him in the ribs with her cane as Haru retrieved three more apples from her cart. "It looks like the Princess chose our saviors well. Now just don't let us down, and one more thing,"

"Yes ma'am."

"What is it?"

"What now.."

First Lee, then Sakura and finally Naruto answered as Miss Toki climbed back onto her stool to tend to her stand. The old women chuckled. "Don't let the Princess put herself down. Now get out of here. All of you standing around my cart is bad for business."

Haru smiled. Faith did still exist in the village, though he shouldn't have expected any less from the old family friend. "Come on. I'll finish showing you all around. Thank you for the fruit."

Miss Toki nodded as Haru ushered the group down the road.

The relaxing time being had back in the Sun Village was a sharp contrast to what Ayako was experiencing. She had been threatened, hit, and generally disrespected for the duration of her time out with Takeshi and his men. Upon their arrival at the Moon Village Takeshi had threatened the village leaders and reminded them of their position. When they didn't comply upon the shadow ninja's arrival in order to gain access to the gold under their forests, Ayako's life had been threatened and the gold had been given up without another word.

The entirety of the negotiation had taken only take a few hours, but the men had decided to overtake a tavern along the way and though they had arrived around late afternoon, they would probably not arrive back at the Sun Village until early the next morning. The sun had set by now, Ayako was sure because there where were no windows in the bar. The members of Takeshi's band had kicked everyone out of the bar, save for enough floozy women to dance with each of the men.

The Princess sat alone in the corner of the dark bar, trying not to think about the disgusting things taking place only feet away from her. All she could think about was her friends and their safety back in the village. Her heel tapped nervously on the stone floor. She tried to think of Lee's motivational words to her, about remaining positive and believing in herself. It was hard in the bleak present however, surrounded by thugs in bad and with a bruise across her cheek from Takeshi's fist blossoming around the cut from the day before and a split eyebrow.

It was then when Takeshi strolled up to the table where she was sitting and pulled up a seat beside her at the table. He hadn't been drinking like the others, and as always he had a cocky air about him. "Not having fun Princess." He asked as he slid his chair in and rested his hands on the wooden table top.

"This isn't my idea of fun." She turned away from him.

"You would just love to be back in the village with your Haru wouldn't you. That or you would love tokill me right now. I can't tell which one exactly." He said, with a mildly amused smile.

Ayako only clenched her jaw.

The tyrant leaned towards her. "You know you can't do it, don't you? You're not strong enough."

The redhead closed her eyes, trying not to let his words sink in.

"I wouldn't kill you if you ever touched me or any of my men. I would make you suffer Princess." He hissed, then stood and grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her forward onto the table. "I will kill everyone you care about, starting with Haru. And you'll have to watch. And then I'll kill the others too. Men, let's move."

She held her arm lightly against her chest as it throbbed as he stood and marched away from the small table. There would be a bruise there no doubt in a few hours, to add to the others already decorating her skin.

"With me Princess, now." He ordered as he cut through his band of drunken men, who hesitated and then reluctantly left the various scantily clad women where they sat scattered around the bar. She followed closely and they began the journey back to the village.

Ayako was shaken. She had known how dangerous bringing outsiders into the village would be, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if something terrible happened to Lee or the others. Now the outsiders had faces and she cared about each of them. Before it hadn't mattered what the danger was, and now she could see Lee being murdered by Lord Takeshi as she watched over and over in her head. And if Takeshi killed Haru she wouldn't be able to continue. She hadn't considered seriously the danger she had put them all in. She let out a short breath. As hard as it was to think about, they had accepted the mission risks and all and she wouldn't be able to talk them out of fighting with her.

It wasn't until after sunset that Takeshi's men stumbled through the gates of the village, still mostly drunk. By then the streets had been deserted and all the stands from the market earlier were cleared from the dirt path, leaving the night air still and calm.

Ayako turned to head towards her apartment, fists clenched tightly. Her breathing was uneven as she tried to fight the tears threatening to spill from her blue eyes. She wanted to go home and sleep.

"Don't forget what I said Princess. There is nothing empty about my threats." Takeshi called after her, earning a snicker from his men. "Sleep well."

She didn't respond except to squeeze her fingernails into her palms until the pain made her block him out. She walked a little faster as the tears leaked over her eyelids. She was able to hold her sobs in until the door of her apartment was shut safely behind her. Her knees gave out and she sank to the cold floor against the door. Tears leaked down her cheeks and her breath came in shaky sobs.

"Princess?"

Ayako jumped and looked up, but her tears didn't stop. "Lee." The young man knelt in front of her on his hands and knees with a pained look on his face at her sudden appearance.

"Why are you crying?" He studied her tearstained face with sad eyes. "Did he hit you? Your face is covered in bruises."

She set her forehead on her knees as he crawled forward to sit beside her against the door. "Why are you still awake?" She whispered, crying a little harder as she spoke.

"I wanted to see you returned safely." He whispered back. He set a hesitant hand on her shoulder.

A few more tears dripped onto her pants, leaving dark spots on the washed out orange fabric. "Thank you. And I'm crying because I've put you all in terrible danger."

"Well of course you have." He answered with a quiet laugh.

She looked up at him as anther tear slid down her face. "What..?"

"Princess you hired us for a dangerous assassination. Do not worry so much, please don't. We are trained ninja. We can handle anything Takeshi can throw at us. And I promise you, I will make sure nothing happens to you, or Haru. I will protect you with my life. He won't lay a finger on you. Not ever again-"

She threw her arms around his middle before he had the chance to finish and buried her face against his neck. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you."

"It really is nothing at all."

"It's more then you could ever imagine." She hugged him tighter. "Infinitely more."

He hesitated, and gingerly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and close his eyes against her wild curls. "Then you are welcome. I will not let you down, that is a promise. And I never break my promises Ayako. I will protect you."

They stayed like that for a long time before the fallen Princess finally stopped crying and exhaustion finally overtook the taijustu master and they fell asleep against the door together.


End file.
